Inre spaning – att forska i och kring underrättelsearkiv

Abstract

British historian Richard Aldrich describes the relationship between intelligence and academic research as an ongoing tug-of-war over the access to intelligence archives or intelligence related files. Intelligence services tend to resist release, for the sake of protecting sensitive sources and methods, but thereby also intentionally or unintentionally distorting historical accounts. Anyone engaging in intelligence studies based on primary sources must be aware of these preconditions, and their legal and scientific ramifications. However, just as in intelligence collection, the researcher can employ innovative methods to gain insight into the intelligence process and the use of intelligence without the access to still classified files or closed archives by using alternative sources from accessible archives, personal collections of documents and private or declassified diaries. These methods can also to some extent be employed to offset the effect of accidental or intentional destruction of files or entire intelligence archives, as well as the lack of documentation due to the principle nothing on paper.